1. Field of the Invention
Solid-phase reagents are easy to handle and, when introduced into optical analyzing systems, allow the performance of quantitative analyses. With development of various new measurement principles and new reagents, solid-phase reagents find wide use in the field of clinical examination such as confirmation of the appearance of a disease, the effect of a course of treatment, changes in the morbid state, etc. The solid-phase reagents generally are in the form of filter paper impregnated with a reagent (test paper) or in the form of a film made of a mixture of the reagent with a high molecular weight polymeric substance. The solid phase reagent is generally rigidly attached to a strip or a slide thereby forming an analyzing tool.
Analyzers which can efficiently analyze a plurality of test liquids and a plurality of solid-phase reagents in one operation have relatively large dimensions. Small portable analyzers generally measure only one item at a time. Such portable analyzers are frequently used for determining important data such as blood glucose, BUN, etc. These portable analyzers find wide use in hospitals, clinical laboratories, and the like.
In order to obtain reliable measurement data with regard to blood glucose or BUN, it is presently necessary either to measure one and the same component both in weak and high concentration or to measure a plurality of elements by sequentially measuring single items such as specific components of a test liquid. These specific components are determined by measuring a reaction element and a reference element with the use of a solid-phase reagent utilizing an immune chemical reaction. The conventional portable analyzers cannot perform in one operation the measurements required in such an approach.
For performing a plurality of measurement operations it is required either to provide a drive mechanism for feeding a plurality of test elements through a photometric unit of a sequential measurement device or to use a plurality of separate optical systems. In the latter case the overall dimensions of the device as well as the cost of the instrument are increased due to the larger number of elements in the optical system. Furthermore a measurement accuracy is reduced because of irregularity in characteristics between the elements. On the other hand, instruments which can carry out these functions are heavy because they require a motor as the drive means. Such instruments are not transportable because of their relatively large dimensions. They consume a relatively large amount of power for the motor supply. Furthermore such instruments cannot work continuously for a long period of time where batteries are used as a power source.
To utilize conventional small analyzers to perform their required functions requires repetition of measurements. Furthermore, the measurements are time consuming. Moreover, it is impossible to obtain correct measurement values because of variation of time periods from the beginning of a reaction to the time of measurement. Consequently, conventional portable analyzers cannot be used with an analyzing tool which carries several test elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The chemical analyzer for performing analysis on selective fluids is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,390. An analyzer apparatus and method of analyte detection are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,611. A cross slide table for microscopes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,354. A cuvette assembly for use with photometric instrumentation and an analytical apparatus for use therewith are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,439. A digital glucose analyzer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,969. A biochemical analysis apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,395. A method and apparatus for performing chemical analyses on selected fluids are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,862. An analyzer featuring loading and unloading means for a storage chamber and common drive means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,191. A test system for the semi-automatic analyses of chemical constituents in a test fluid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,503.
The Ames Division of Miles Laboratories, Incorporated, markets a urine analysis apparatus under the trademark Clinitek.RTM. 10 and also markets a reflectance photometer under the trademark Seralyzer.RTM..